Oath is an announcement or promise made in the name of truth that
also summons supernatural forces to invoke a punishment should the statement
be incorrect or broken. Christians
may make an oath on the Bible, invoking God; Muslims can make an oath in
the name of Allah. In occultism oaths of secrecy are frequently part of
an organizational initiation ceremony. Should such an oath be broken and
subsequently secret truths revealed it is believed that a "psychic
current" rebounds upon the practitioner in question by the way of a
punishment.

Oaths may also be viewed as men's way of seeking higher powers to testify
to their honesty or keeping them honest. The latter indicates that men do
not trust each other integrity. A remedy for this is for each man to increase
respect for the truth within himself which builds self-confidence. A.G.H